I’m due for some new sneakers. I ran my half marathon in November and have continued to run in my old Saucony’s that I’ve had for, embarrassingly enough, about a year and a half now. The general rule of thumb for when to replace your running shoes will vary, depending on how often you use them and your body type, ailments, etc… I know I’m due for a new pair because my knees have threatened to take me out on my next run if I don’t replace the old shoes. Seriously, my knees have started to take their toll. If I were a casual walker or wearer, I don’t think I’d be in a hurry to replace them, but I’ve run in these for most of that time, and will definitely need some new kicks for my half marathon in March (Zooma Austin!).

A colleague of mine recommended I try out Softec Footbeds, heat moldable insoles. You warm them up in the oven, insert them, and they’re essentially custom fitted to your foot once inserted and you’ve put your weight on them. Hmmmm. She’s purchased these instead of having to invest in new sneakers every time. Although I’m truly overdue for new sneaks, I also know that I’m in need of some ortho wear. I went to a podiatrist years ago, she took a look at my feet, bones (via x-ray (I’d broken my pinkie toe then)), and walk, and recommended I seriously consider custom orthotics. I’m not one that’s quick to jump on the “here’s your diagnosis, hand over the cash” bandwagon and so opted to forego the orthotics until I came into some money (still waiting…). However, now that I’ve taken to running these days, I’m starting to feel the pain a lot more. So… I thought I’d try out these insoles for $50 to see if they make a difference. My colleague swears by them and they have a bunch of great testimonials on their site.

I’m still getting new sneakers, because again, I’m wayyyy overdue, but thought I’d give these a try too. Can’t hurt, right? I’ll give you my unbiased review after I’ve worn them for a couple of weeks. Anyone else try them out?